Night Shadows
by Happy Birthday to Howie
Summary: Trunks refuses to see the obvious, causing a painful game of jealousy to begin between himself and Pan. Will they realize a heart is not a toy before one breaks? Ch17! Finally, the end!
1. Her

Night Shadows- Chapter 1  
  
by Tanyaneko  
  
Disclaimer: Due to the fact that I'm feeling lazy today, you get the same old disclaimer as before. I don't own Dragon Ball Z/GT. I don't make any money off of this, either. I just write because it's fun... (and it's something to do when I can't sleep.)   
  
  
  
Pan smiled as she moved around her yellow kitchen, cooking. Even though it was night, the room still looked like it was filled with sunshine. Her menu looked to be enough food to feed at least ten sumo wrestlers, but it was just enough for her demi-Saiyajin appetite, maybe someone else if she was in the mood for sharing.   
  
She was twenty-six now, out of college, with her own apartment, and she was working at Capsule Corp.  
  
Her bright laugh filled the room as she remembered how she'd threatened to kill Trunks if he didn't give her the job. He had been about to, anyway, as she was very qualified, but to her there was no fun in just applying. Besides, at the time she hadn't had a good spar in awhile. Obviously, he'd hired her, and to deal with her lack of sparring partners, she'd convinced Vegeta to let her start training with him. Sure, she had a different life now, but she still loved fighting. And anyway, Vegeta had told her something interesting...  
  
She smirked then and walked over to her phone, the sunshiny yellow matching the rest of the kitchen. (Bra had done all the decorating for Pan, who couldn't for all of Gohan's genes in her figure out why her friend found it so fun). She punched in a number and then listened to the ringing for awhile before the person on the other end picked up.  
  
"Hmph," she said, annoyance at having to wait making her tone snappish. "Took you long enough." Pause.  
  
"No, I'm not really mad at you." She began to twirl the phone cord around her finger.  
  
Her previous mood was obviously forgotten as the corners of her mouth quirked up and and her eyes twinkled with amusement. Her smile sounded in her cheerful voice as she continued to speak into the phone. "That's nice to know. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to come over for dinner?"  
  
"That's not funny!" She yelled. "You know my food isn't poison like Bulma's. Not anymore, at least. You shouldn't keep comparing me to her."  
  
"Why?" She sighed, and her head dropped a little, her voice becoming quiet as she frowned. "So you can't make it because you're having dinner with your family. You could have told me so in the first place."  
  
"No, no, I'm not too disappointed," she lied.  
  
"Of course I'll be there the usual time! Do you really think that just because you turned me down for dinner I won't show up tomorrow? You think too lowly of me."  
  
"Yes, well bye, then." She heard the click and then her frown turned to a smirk as she looked at the phone.  
  
_No way, Trunks Briefs. I'm not giving up on you that easily. Know it or not, you're mine. _She laughed to herself. _Your daddy told me so. And I'm not going to wait around for you to figure it out like some damsel in distress. No, I'm Son Pan._  
  
Later, so late that the crickets were chirping and the owls were hooting so loudly that she wanted to break her own window and ki blast them until they were so fried they fell off the branches they were on, she closed the book she was reading, and reached over to click off the light. Then she let her eyelids flutter closed and rested her head on her soft fluffy pillow, the light fabric contrasting with her dark hair that she'd allowed to grow and was now so long and flowing that it spilled over her pillow like water over rocks. Suddenly, she heard a noise, and she turned on the light, blinking her dark eyes to readjust to the brightness.  
  
Rap. Rap. Rap.  
  
There, she'd heard it again.  
  
Rap. Rap. RAP.  
  
It was more insitent this time, and she glanced around, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise.  
  
RAP. RAP. RAP. RAP. RAP!  
  
Ah, the window. She used her hands to push herself up into a sitting position, cast aside her blue cloud blanket, allowing it to fall to the soft blue carpet, and walked over. She pulled open the curtains, letting the silvery-white moonlight in, and smiled at the figure floating right outside against the backdrop of the starry night sky.  
  
  
  
  
That's it for chapter one. Did you like it? Hate it? Have any ideas what should come next? Want to be my prereader (please)?  
  
~Tanyaneko aka N-chan (Tanyaneko@aol.com)  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Him

Night Shadows- Chapter 2  
  
by Tanyaneko  
  
Disclaimer: Due to the fact that I'm feeling lazy today, you _still_ get the same old disclaimer as before. I don't own Dragon Ball Z/GT or any of the characters. I don't make any money off of this, either. I just write because it's fun... (And it's something to do when I can't sleep.)   
  
  
  
A/N: Thanks to my prereader, Kira, for reading over this for me. Thanks to everyone who read the last chapter. This chapter is from Trunks' point of view, and starts at right before Pan calls him.  
  
****************************************  
  
Trunks picked up his cell phone, about to dial some blond he felt like having fun with that night, when it started ringing. He stared at it for a moment before pressing 'Talk.'  
  
"Hey, Trunks here."  
  
He frowned. The girl- no, woman, he corrected himself, since it was true- on the other end didn't sound happy. "Sorry, Panny. I didn't know it was you. Are you mad at me?"  
  
He smiled, knowing she couldn't see it, but he couldn't help it. "Wonderful, because I'd die a thousand deaths rather than have you angry with me," he joked. He heard her beautiful laugh, and in his mind he saw her bright smile just as if she were standing in front of him.   
  
"What? You're cooking? No, I don't want to die! My mom cooks badly enough without you adding extra poison to my system." His blue eyes were full of mischief, the way they always were when he teased her.  
  
"Well, I can't come," he said, remembering the blond and trying to think of an excuse that wouldn't hurt her feelings.  
  
"I'm having dinner with my family," he explained. It was true enough. He was supposed to have dinner with them that night, but he was canceling for his date with the blond. Not that Pan needed to know that. He really didn't understand why he was uncomfortable with telling her about dates with other girls, but he shrugged it off, not wanting to think about it.  
  
"I'm sorry, Pan," he apologized. "I'll make it up to you, I promise. You're not too disappointed, are you?" He heard her tell him no, she wasn't, and he felt like a jerk because he knew she was lying.  
  
"You'll be at work tomorrow, though, right?"  
  
"Just making sure. I didn't mean any offense by it. Work just gets really boring when you don't stop in and make things interesting." He laughed, remembering the time Pan placed about a million sheets of metal on his window so he couldn't escape, and then spent the whole day playing games on his computer. "Well, anyway, bye Panny. See you tomorrow."  
  
He then hung up and dialed the blonde's number, wondering why he felt guilty about it. He didn't have a girlfriend, he could see whomever he felt like seeing. But he just couldn't shake the feeling.  
  
"Hey, Cookie? You wanna... never mind." He hung up on her, and stared at the phone, wondering why on earth he'd blown his date. _Dende, what's wrong with me?_  
  
**********************  
"Ha! You're so dense!" The namek screamed from Kami's Lookout. "Figure it out yourself!"  
**********************  
  
Then he went home and actually ate dinner with his family. He just couldn't lie to Pan. For some reason, it was just... wrong.  
  
"What's eating you, Brat?" Vegeta demanded to know.  
  
"You're taking an interest in my well being. I'm shocked."  
  
"No, it's just that you're still holding the spoon for the mashed potatoes, and I want some."  
  
Trunks immediately dropped the spoon and watched as his father grabbed the bowl.  
  
"Hmph." Vegeta continued. "I know what's happened with you anyway." He paused to glare at Bulma.  
  
She just smiled. "I love you too. Now finish your dinner."  
  
"Don't tell me what to do, woman." But he continued to eat his food in the ravenous way that only saiya-jins can.  
  
"What's going on will Trunks, Daddy?" Bra asked sweetly, interested.  
  
"You know. You and that brat of Kakarott's."  
  
Bra smiled. She and Goten had been together for awhile already, and Vegeta hadn't even tried to kill him once. Not seriously, at least... "Yay, Trunks! Finally!"  
  
"Then ask that brat of Kakarott's oldest brat." The Prince's tone signaled the end of the conversation.  
  
  
Trunks lay on his bed, trying to understand what his father had meant by telling him to ask Pan. _I guess... I guess the only thing to do is to go ask Pan._  
  
Not noticing what time of night it was, he jumped out his window and flew to her apartment. He reached the building and circled the complex until he found her distinct blue cloud curtains. He knew for a fact that the entire motif of her bedroom was blue clouds. Bra had given him a tour of Pan's entire apartment after she'd decorated it. He grinned and knocked on her window, suddenly realizing how cold it was.   
  
Cursing himself for not bringing a jacket, he knocked again. _Dende, where is she? Maybe she's asleep.  
  
_****************  
"No, really! Other people need to sleep, too!" Dende screamed. "Stop bugging me with useless questions!"  
****************  
  
He knocked harder. _Okay, this is starting to become not fun. _He banged on the window really hard and then smiled as he saw Pan pulling open the curtains, Pan smiling back at him, Pan reaching out to unlatch the window, Pan pulling him in, Pan in her really... short... nightshirt...   
  
He shook his head to clear his head of any of _those_ kinds of thoughts, and listened to her ask, "Why'd you come here, Trunks?" her amusement evident. "Do you know what time it is?"  
  
"Uh..." he looked at her bedside clock. "1:34."  
  
"Exactly. So why are you here?"  
  
"I came to ask you just that."  
  
Pan cocked an eyebrow at him, her facial expression quizzical. "You came to ask me why you came?"  
  
He sighed. "Not just that. I came to ask you why everyone seems to know something I don't, why I can't talk to you about other girls I'm seeing anymore, why I can't lie to you, why my father told me to ask you. What's going on, Pan?"  
  
She just grinned mischievously at him. "I can't tell you. But you'll find out soon enough."  
  
  
  
  
  
So what did you think?  
  
~ Tanyaneko/N-chan  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. Together

Night Shadows- Chapter 3

By Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: The same one that's been up this whole story, oh, and the song is Let Me Love you by Da Buzz. I don't own that either. ^.^ Well, on with the fic!

A/N: I apologize if the plot seemed a bit slow at first, but thanks to those who read, and to everyone who reviewed. You're all so nice. J 

"Why can't you tell me, Pan?" Trunks pleaded. "You have no idea how confused I am. Please, Pan, just tell me!"

But the black-haired woman just continued to smile as she walked over to her cd player. Her hand reached out and she pressed a button, her brilliant smile widening as a song began to play.

__

Tonight ... I know in my heart I want to be with you

Let me love you tonight.

Then she went back to him, placed her arms lightly around his neck and began to sway her body to the music.

__

How can I make you want me?

How can I make it for real?

I wanna love you forever.

I hope that you feel the same.

"But Pan, this isn't even a slow song," he protested.

She put a finger to his lips to silence him. "Shh. Don't talk. Just dance."

__

I'd give everything for you

To make you want to stay

I'll give everything I have

I love you more than I can say.

He seemed to understand, and as he wrapped his strong arms around her she rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. It just felt so safe, so right, being close to him, in his arms. It didn't matter that they were dancing around her bedroom with the window open to a song that wasn't even slow. 

__

Let me love you tonight

And I'll make you feel alright

I know in my heart I want to be with you

He would know soon. He had to recognize her feelings. They were just so… so painfully obvious… there was no possible way he could stay blind to them. Soon, he'd find out she loved him. And hopefully he'd realize he loved her too.

__

Oh, baby, let me love you tonight

And I'll make you feel alright

In a million years I won't be over you.

Let me love you tonight.

And then slowly, gently, for no other reason than that it fit the moment, he lowered his head so that his lips brushed softly against Pan's. He was completely unprepared for her passionate response, unprepared for the rush of emotion that was suddenly coursing through him. In that moment, he understood. _She loves me._ It was surprising- surprising that she did, surprising that he never knew, surprising that he… that he actually loved her back. Even more than that, he realized he needed her, that he'd fall apart if she even went away. In just one moment, he knew that she was his reason for living.

__

I know you don't want to

Be without my love

And if you're gonna kiss me

You know that you'll have to stay.

She could tell. The second he figured it out, at the beginning of their kiss, she noticed. She smiled against his lips and murmured quietly, "I love you, Trunks."

__

I'd give everything for you

To make you want to stay

I'll give everything I have

I love you more than I can say.

__

She loves me. He knew it, and now she'd gone and said it. _I love you too, Pan. _But he didn't say anything out loud.

__

Let me love you tonight

And I'll make you feel alright

I know in my heart I want to be with you

He was scared. Scared of the fact that he needed her so badly, scared because he knew he'd die if she weren't there, scared because he realized his life was dependent on hers.

It made him pull away from her, and he just couldn't meet her beautiful, dark, hurt, shocked eyes.

__

Oh, baby, let me love you tonight

And I'll make you feel alright

In a million years I won't be over you.

Let me love you tonight ... Let me love you tonight.

"Trunks, I don't understand. I thought that you finally-"

__

In the light I see your face

But only in my dreams

Let me be the one to hold your hand

And make you understand.

"Shh," he said, quieting her, looking everywhere except her eyes. "Pan… I don't know… I'm… I'm sorry, okay?"

__

Ooooh, let me love you.

I want to make you feel alright.

Yes I know in my heart I want to be with you.

His mind began making excuses. Everyone was wrong about him and Pan. He didn't love her, she didn't love him. He was just going through a weird stage, and this was all just something conjured up from that skimpy outfit of hers.

__

Oh baby let me love you

He actually believed himself on some level, even though it his heart he knew all of his pathetic excuses were lies. He'd just have to get away from Pan for awhile, and stay away until his stupid heart shut up.

__

Let me love you tonight

And I'll make you feel alright

I know in my heart I want to be with you

"Pan, whatever you thought-"

She interrupted him, her voice trembling. "Just… just leave, Trunks. Please… just get out."

He nodded his head and jumped out the window. But he made the mistake of looking at her eyes before he left, and he realized he hurt from seeing the pain in her eyes. _Just one more reason to stay away._

Let me love you tonight

And I'll make you feel alright

In a million years I won't be over you.

Let me love you tonight ... Let me love you tonight!

Pan stood, staring at the window, with the music playing in the background that didn't mean anything to her anymore.

And for the first time in her life, she began to lose hope. She came to the realization that maybe things weren't going to work out after all. And as she put a hand to her face to touch her tears, she wondered, _Is this what a broken heart feels like?_

So people, I'd love to hear what you all think!

~Tanyaneko


	4. Pain

Night Shadows- Chapter 4

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: No, I don't own any of the characters... oh, well...

A/N: Thanks to all you wonderful people who are reviewing! It's so nice to know I'm appreciated. ^.^ And thanks to my prereader, Kira, you're so nice to me!

*********************************************************************

Trunks continued to fly, cursing himself again for forgetting his jacket as the cold wind whipped by him and lashed at his face. At least the pain would keep him from thinking of Pan. Self-torture had seemed to work for his father, _So it should work for me._

He went on, at the height of the clouds, watching as the land below him went from city to suburb to sand. And when the sand gave way to water, he realized he was floating above the ocean, merely staring as the waves crested before crashing to shore.

It gave him an idea, and he began to fly down into the churning sea at high speeds, pulling up right before he hit the ocean floor and then he repeated the process again and again and again. He didn't know when it happened, but the physical exertion tired him and he didn't stop himself in time. He crashed into the rocky bottom and knocked himself unconscious.

The waves carried him to shore, dumping him roughly on the wet sand before receding into the blue, leaving him alone: one man, lying among the pebbles and broken shells.

It was merciful that he wasn't awake to keep him from being reminded of broken promises, broken hearts and the broken look in her tear-glistening eyes. It was her eyes that plagued him the most. Her eyes...

He woke up to the sea spray in his eyes and the salt stinging his self-inflicted cuts and bruises. Remembering himself, he pushed up from his uncomfortable bed of shells and tiny sharp rocks and began to fly home.

He was surprised to see Vegeta there in the doorway, glaring as usual. His father never waited up for him. Soon, he realized the reason for the saiyan prince's unusual behavior. 

"You refused her." Vegeta snorted dismissively. "You are even more foolish than I thought. She was here earlier for her training. It's good you weren't around." Then he turned and walked inside, once again ignoring his son.

At work, Trunks sighed as he stared at the mountain of paperwork on his desk. She hadn't come at all that day. He'd never felt more alone in his entire life. He supposed it was best this way. He'd never make himself stop needing Pan if he stayed used to seeing her all the time.

When he stepped into his house and plopped down on the couch, for some reason even more weary than usual, Bra walked up to him, her blue eyes angry and confused.

She sat down next to her brother and sighed. Then she took a deep breath and sighed again before beginning, "What did you do to her, Trunks?"

He understood, but pretended he didn't. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Stop being like that, Trunks." Another sigh. "What did you do to Pan?"

"It's not that simple, Bra."

"Oh, yeah? Then explain it to me, Brother. What did you do?"

He kept silent for a while, searching for the right words. "I fell in love with her," he said a few moments later, sounding tired and confused at the same time.

"So?"

"Then I left."

"Why?"

"I'm trying to make myself stop loving her, stop needing her. I'm trying to make it so that it doesn't hurt when she's not around like it does now." He sighed. _All of Bra's sighing is just contagious, that's all._ He thought lamely.

"Don't you realize you're hurting her in the process?"

"Maybe, but-"

"That's enough." She glared at him, her normally crystalline blue eyes cloudy and turbulent, looking shocked, sad, and enraged all at once. "You're so damned selfish!" she screamed. Then her hand came up, and she slapped him- hard, so hard that there was a resounding smack.

He stared at her in astonishment for awhile before defending himself. "I'm not the bad guy! Don't make me out to be one, Bra!" he yelled. But she'd already gotten up and she wasn't listening to him anymore.

He got up and walked outside, and just screamed- in anger, in frustration, just about everything that was wrong in his life. Then, temporarily calmed, he walked inside and called Marron.

"Hey, I was wondering if you wanted to go out."

"Great, Marron. How does tonight sound?"

"Okay, wonderful. See you then, Marron."

Bra listened from the top of the stairs, and she waited until he hung up before telephoning Pan. _He said her name twice. Once, maybe I was hearing wrong. Not twice, though. Poor Pan, I'm so sorry... _

Pan nodded as she listened to her best friend. "Thanks, Bra." Then she hung up.

She shook her head as a few stray tears stubbornly refused to stop rolling down her cheeks. "If this is the way it has to be, Trunks, so be it." No man could ever replace Trunks, and she'd never get over him, but she couldn't stay alone. She just hoped it wouldn't have to come to that. She just couldn't see herself with anyone but him.

For now, though, she'd have to play his little game. With a sigh, she picked up her phone, and dialed Ubuu. (A/N: He miraculously owns a phone, okay?) Pitching her voice to sound cheerful, she spoke. "Hi, Ubuu. It's Pan."

Okay, people. What do you all think? Yes, I promise, there are more chapters on the way. Until then… uh… wait, please.

~Tanyaneko

__ __


	5. The Game Begins

Night Shadows- Chapter 5

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: I own… nothing. *sigh* Oh, well. 

A/N: Thanks, you wonderful, wonderful people who reviewed! Someone, I know who you are. V-chan, puh-lease! Lady Dark Tiger's Eye… hehe. To Moon_sparkle, LilSweetCeres, gokusangel [NSI], fluffy, Trubi, *Ryoko*TP, Catsy, brattyangel, Bunny, Pomne, Obsessive One, amcm74, Lady of Flame, Bra Briefs-Vegeta, Sami, chibitomoe, jackie, Candy, Lady Pan, Truapana, thank you so much! I'm so glad you like my story! 

This chapter hasn't been betaread… I kinda got impatient… hehe…

********************************************************************

Trunks lay back, staring at the stars dotting the dark night sky from his perch on Capsule Corp's domed roof, remembering the time he'd flown through the galaxy in a spaceship. _Pan…_she'd been in space with him, with Goku. That had been back when they were just friends, back when there was no… love… to get in the way of everything, to cause pain. _Maybe there was love… but not like this. Definitely not like this._ As he rested there, gazing out, he wondered what in HFIL had gone wrong during his date with Marron. It had been a disaster. _It should have gone well._ To everyone else, it had. Outwardly, he'd enjoyed himself. Inside, though, he just hadn't been able to bring himself to have fun.

__

Trunks drove to Marron's house wearing his favorite tux, driving his favorite red car, blasting his favorite music. (Marron, unlike himself and Goten, had actually moved out of her parents' house…) He walked to her front door, knocked, and then watched as she came out wearing a long pink dress. 

She looked pretty, beautiful even. But his heart just didn't race at the sight, and he was as calm as ever. He didn't love her, and he was partly thankful for that. If there wasn't any love, there wasn't any risk of pain.

The restaurant was fancy. Trunks ordered everything on the menu. Marron ordered a simple salad. He couldn't help but wish that the girl in front of him was the one who could devour food like he could, but he ignored the thought. They finished at the same time.

"So tell me, Trunks, how have you been?" Marron asked him, smiling sweetly.

"Fine, just fine. I've had a sex change and now I'm pregnant with Goten's child."

The blond girl laughed a sugary little bell-like laugh. It wasn't anything like Pan's, and Trunks couldn't decide if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Then he saw her. She was walking in, hanging onto Ubuu's arm, laughing her amazing laugh and smiling that gorgeously vivacious smile of hers. She was actually wearing a dress- he was shocked. It was a flashy little red thing, something he'd expect on his sister, but never on Pan. Damn she looks sexy. _He shook his head and shoved that thought as far away as possible. Still, he was powerless to look away. Her raven hair hung loose, falling in a shining cascade with no bandana in the way. She looked good with Ubuu, and it hurt. Trunks decided to ignore her for the rest of the evening._

He focused instead on Marron. Her eyes were black. They reminded him of Pan's dark eyes, of what he'd thrown away, of what he could have had, of her laughing and smiling and being happy with a guy that wasn't him. They reminded him of how it hurt, of why he'd gone away from Pan in the first place- to keep himself from getting hurt. He still didn't understand that his resolution was causing him even more pain.

That's why I'm here with Marron, _he reminded himself. _To get over Pan, to make it so that I don't need her anymore. _He repeated it in his head like a mantra, but every time it sounded less convincing. But still convincing enough to keep him blindfolded from the truth._

So he smiled at Marron, laughed with her, made a whole bunch of jokes, flirted. He had to look in her eyes to do so- he realized there was nothing burning there, no fire. He wished to Dende that she did, but there were just no flames, nothing even close, in her coal black eyes.

*****

"How many times do I have to ask, dag nammit! Leave me out of your problems!" The green man screamed.

*****

Marron was sweet. She reminded him of a lollipop- the little swirly kind that little girls in pigtails would have. She'd forever be the little girl in pigtails to him, sweet little child. He didn't understand what made Pan different. If anything, rationally, it should have been the other way around. But it wasn't. 

Marron was pretty, she was fun, she smiled a lot, but the girl was a… marshmallow. (A/N: Marron fans, I mean that in the nicest of ways, I swear! I have nothing against her, I'm just saying that she's a sweetheart.) But he didn't need a sugar girl. He needed someone tough, someone like him.

He knew what he needed, but he was too afraid. Pan's father could kill him, or at least inflict tremendously agonizing and brutal damage. What scared him the most, though, was what she herself could do to him emotionally. She could rip him to shreds, leaving nothing but a soulless shell of Trunks left. She had way too much power over him, and he wanted control of himself again. That was why he needed to make himself stop needing her. But it was hard when he kept wishing the girl he was with were Pan.

He drove Marron home, kissed her goodnight asked her out on a second date, and then drove home, somehow ending up on the roof, staring at the stars and thinking of Pan.

Trunks stayed up there, wondering what he was going to do. He had to find some way to forget her. He didn't want to get hurt. _I'm such a coward._ But there wasn't anything he could do about it.

Not too far away, Pan sat outside on her windowsill, bouncing her feet against the hard brick of the side of her apartment building, staring at the exact same stars.

Her date had gone fairly well. Ubuu was cute, funny, sweet. He was a wonderful innocent boy. But sweet and innocent weren't what she really wanted.

She already had her "bad boy with a heart." She'd always be his light, she was sure of it, forever. And he'd be her strength, even stronger that she was, with a pride and determination that amazed her, even if it meant he was a stubborn jerk sometimes- that stubborn jerk-ness part of who he was, and she loved him regardless. She just hoped that it wouldn't be long until he saw through his night shadows, to the truth, to her. But until he came to his senses, she'd go out with Ubuu. The tribal boy was fun to be around, and cute enough. Too bad he wasn't Trunks.

Yay! Chapter 5 is done! Yay! What do you people think? Reviews are always nice. Hmmm… what's gonna happen in the next chapter?

~Tanyaneko

__


	6. 

Night Shadows- Chapter 6

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: *starts to sing the "I don't own anything, please don't sue me" song*

A/N: Sorry for the long wait, but you all know how Christmas is, and I was working to meet the deadline for Break. Anyway, thank you to Tom, amcm74, Someone, Bunny, Saiyan Serpent, V-chan, TrunkxChic, Jackie, Lorraine, AngelQT520, fluffy, pd, Kawai Fox, Lady Dark Tiger's Eye, and Summer Black. There's a little Bulma/Veggie moment in here. I don't know how well I wrote them… we'll see.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

One night, Bulma poked her husband.

"What is the matter with you, woman? Can't you see I'm sleeping?" the Saiya-jin prince growled.

"Aww, my poor cranky Veggie. You don't need to take it out on me."

Vegeta growled again in frustration and turned around to face his (slightly annoying) wife. "You wake me up while I am asleep, you call me cranky, and 'Veggie' besides, and you expect me not to take it out on you?"

"Well, aren't we argumentative tonight?" she muttered.

"Just tell me what's wrong already and then stop pestering me!" he snapped back. There was no way he could make her desist- he'd learned that by then- but she could at least say it quickly to get it over with.

"It's Trunks. He's trying so hard to make his relationship with Marron work, when it's so obvious he doesn't love her, and Pan's doing the same thing with Ubuu. It's been going on for a month, Vegeta! I just want my little boy to be happy!" she whined, her voice taking on that extremely aggravating note that he somehow found sexy as well.

He snorted. "Is that it, woman? Why did you bother me? You could have just yapped to that shrewish mate of Kakarott's like you always do."

"But Vegeta, this is our son's happiness we're talking about!"

"And this is my sleep you're interrupting," he grumbled. "Anyway, he's just being stubborn. He'll go to her soon enough. He's actually dealing with it fairly well." The brat was his son, after all. He would have been surprised if the boy just gave up control of his life without a struggle. At least Trunks wasn't letting an evil wizard control his mind. Yes, the brat was dealing with it fairly well.

Comforted by his confidence more than his words, Bulma was about to go to sleep when she saw _that look _in his eye. A slow smile lighted on her face. "I thought you were sleepy?"

He smirked. "You woke me up. I'm not going to just go back to sleep."

The blue-haired woman giggled and playfully pulled the covers over them both.

The next morning, Trunks ate his breakfast even more rapidly than usual.

"What's the rush, Brother?" Bra asked, on speaking terms with her lavender-haired sibling again.

"I'm going over to Goten's with Marron."

Vegeta's trademark smirk played across his features. "I know for a fact that Goten is here at Capsule-" he paused to look pointedly at his daughter, who just gave an innocent shrug, but was looking everywhere except him. "And besides," he continued, "Kakarott's grandbrat is coming over here with Ubuu. You can't make her jealous if she's not there."

Trunks' face turned as purple as his hair and he started to choke. "Who said I was trying to make Pan jealous?" he asked when he regained the ability to breathe properly again. It didn't matter how much he denied it- it was true. He was going out with Marron, to make himself forget his feelings for Pan, but he didn't see anything wrong with making her feel a little jealous while he was at it. _Especially when she's making me so envious of Ubuu I want to kill him._

"Does this mean I can come out now?" Goten peeked from behind the counter, drooling slightly. "I'm really hungry."

Even Vegeta had to laugh.

Then the bong of chimes filled the house. "The doorbell. That should be Pan and Ubuu," Bra announced, using that as an excuse to get away from her father's pointed look. Her chair made a squeaking noise against the floor as she stood, placing her perfectly manicured hands on the table to push herself up before strolling to the door to greet her friends.

"Where's your other half?" Pan teased Trunks, referring to Marron, as she ran into the kitchen, audaciously snatched a piece of toast off of Vegeta's plate, and slid deftly into a seat on the side of the table opposite the Prince.

Vegeta smirked. He didn't mind Pan, even if she was spawn of Kakarott. _At least she's Saiya-jin. And she can fight. And she has…_What was that word they'd all used to describe her mother when she was younger? _Oh yes. She has… spunk. _Which wasn't a bad thing at all.

"She's not my other half," Trunks stated defensively. That annoying and blatantly honest voice in the back of his head added, _You are, Pan._ He immediately forced the voice to shut up. "I just enjoy her company, that's all."

The raven-haired girl laughed mockingly at him. "Really? One would think you were Siamese twins, you're so close all the time. You're as attached to her as… as…" she paused to think of the right analogy, "as a Saiya-jin is to food." Her teasing was the only indication that their relationship bothered her before she called, "Ubuu, _honey, _come and eat breakfast," her voice dripping with affection.

The darkly tanned man sauntered in, a friendly smile on his face. He sat down next to Pan, placing a slightly possessive arm around her. She moved so she was straddling his lap and started to feed him, their mushy together-ness bothering Trunks.

"Oh, please. You're acting like newlyweds," he grumbled. "Get a room."

She smirked. "Maybe we will. Can we use yours?" she queried nastily, knowing exactly what kind of images that would provoke in Trunks' mind.

The idea of Pan and Ubuu, on _his _bed, doing… he growled before he caught himself, and then pointlessly tried to pretend it didn't matter to him in the slightest. _Over a month and I'm still not over her. What is wrong with me?_


	7. From Game to War

Night Shadows- Chapter 7

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: You already know I don't own it, I'm not making any money off it, and the characters aren't mine.

A/N: Sorry again that it took so long to get this one out. I had a slight case of writer's block. (Don't you hate that?) Anyway, thank you to Tom, Candy, fluffy, Saiyan Serpent, kristy, Kirrie, AMCM74, KinkySaiyan, V-chan, Jackie, Someone, TANYANEKO?!? (Hehe, don't worry people. I don't review my own fics. That was my cousin, she was over my house, and ff.net on my compy is pretty much set to my name. Also, by what she said, I meant that I hoped I hit 110 before I finished writing 7. I'm not one of those mean people who holds chapters! Eurgh, writer's block sucks enough by itself without adding evil chapter-hoarding-ness.) and O.o. 100 reviews… *sniffle* Thank you, thank you so much! Wow, I can hardly believe I'm finally on Chapter 7. Tell me what you all think about this one, people! 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ubuu! Hurry up or we'll be late for our double date with Trunks and Marron at the park!" Pan nagged her boyfriend.

He poked his dark head out of the kitchen, grinning good-naturedly, to gaze lovingly at her. "You know, Pan," he commented, "if you helped me, I'd get the sandwiches packed faster."

Pan shook her head, silky raven tresses flying. "You do it better." _Besides,_ she added silently, _I can't make Trunks jealous by telling him what a wonderful boyfriend you are for doing this _all_ by yourself if I help you._ She had no intention of ever allowing him to discover that it was all to make the lavender-haired man jealous. Sometimes, though, she felt that he knew anyway. And yet, he was still there with her, like a wonderful friend who stuck around because he knew she needed his help. She shook the feeling off. _There's no way he knows. _But she wasn't positive.

****At the park****

Trunks glared at Pan as she and Ubuu landed in front of him and Marron. "You're late."

"Sorry," Pan smirked. "We were _busy._ We were having so much fun we lost track of time."

Trunks' blue eyes darkened, and Pan's own eyes sparkled in reply, delighted that she was getting to him.

"Well, if he was a good boyfriend like you always say," Trunks snapped, "he would have remembered your responsibilities and gotten you here on time instead of getting caught up in whatever you were doing."

"At least he's not a prude like Marron," Pan retorted.

"Marron's not a prude!" He defended. "She's just innocent, that's all. She's not a cheap slut like you!"

Pan's eyes widened in shock. "What did you just call me?" Her aura glowed golden as her ki rose dangerously. "You have _no right-_"

"No right? I have no right? C'mon, Pan, I see you and Ubuu necking all over the place. It's only a logical conclusion that you two are doing it."

She just stared at him, hurt surprise evident. He should have _known _she wouldn't go and do something like that. He was practically her best friend, she thought he knew her-

"And then there was the way you threw yourself at me that night in your room."

Unbidden, the tears came. An angry flush rose to her damp cheeks, and her voice, steely ice though quavering, said, "Trunks, you _knew _I was going to wait. I thought you knew me better than to make assumptions like that." She stopped, and then added, "And _never _talk about that night in my room ever again. As far as I'm concerned, it didn't happen. And anything I said that night I didn't mean." With a final muffled, anguished sob, she took to the air and left.

Trunks stared after her, suddenly realizing how hurtful he'd been, when a memory came back to him- of him and Pan, when she'd been about fifteen.

"My parents made me promise to wait for the right guy before I sleep with anyone." She was smiling, proud of herself. __

"I'm proud of you, Panny," he answered, beaming back down at her. "Maybe if I'd made that promise, my reputation wouldn't be so horrible."

She shook her head. "I don't think you're horrible, Trunks. And I'd never say anything bad about stuff like that to you."

"I'll never say anything like that to you, either, Pan. I know you'll never do anything that would ever give me reason to."

He shook his head, frowning, and feeling horrible, wretched, and low for what he'd just said. _I'm sorry, Pan. I didn't mean it…_

He stared longingly after her, wanting very much to follow, but not sure if Marron and Ubuu would be okay with it.

The blond girl smiled, and as if knowing what he was thinking told him reassuringly, "Go after her. Apologize."

Trunks nodded, thankful, and without another word, flew after Pan.

When the streaking light that was Trunks got farther away, Ubuu reached out to gently take Marron's hand.

"How much longer, Ubuu?"

"I don't know. I really don't like seeing them hurt each other like this."

"Why can't they just admit how they feel?"

"Pan did. She got hurt. Now she's pretending it doesn't matter and that it's all just a game."

"And Trunks is scared."

"We can only wait and help them. And hope that they don't find out."

"Part of me hopes that they do."

"We never know how they'll react, though."

She looked troubled by that, and he leaned down to give her a reassuring kiss.

Oooooh!!!!!! The plot thickens! As always, I want to know what you think!

~Tanyaneko


	8. Not Anymore

Night Shadows- Chapter 8

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: If I owned it, this wouldn't just be fanfiction.

A/N: Thank you to those who reviewed Chapter 7: fluffy, Saiyan Serpent, AngelQT520, V-chan, Someone, m-chan, and Jackie. You people are so cool! Here's Chapter 8! (AMCM74, Saiyan Serpent, guess what? I found my green book! Yay!) Anyway… you probably all don't want to read me babble… so… on to the story!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Making his transformation to Super Saiya-jin in a brilliant explosion of golden light, Trunks easily caught up to Pan. When he was directly behind her, droplets of moisture started to fly toward him, evaporating as they hit his surrounding ki. _She's still crying._ He felt even worse than he had when he'd first realized what he'd done, if that was possible. _I am the lowest of the low. I am the most horrible person on the planet- with the possible exception of Ubuu- _not that he was jealous or anything… _Ah, who am I kidding? I'm already a low, horrible, manipulative bastard, I might as well add 'jealous' to the list. _He only hoped that the strong, raven-haired, dark-eyed daughter of Gohan before him could look past all of his hideous character flaws and forgive his terrible mistake.

He could tell- if not by her tears, by the fact that she hadn't noticed his presence yet- that she was beyond upset. He couldn't very well beg her forgiveness if she didn't know he was there, so he decided to get her attention. _Now or never, _he thought, more than a little fearfully. Then he took a deep breath and screamed, "Pan wait!"

She halted midair and just floated awhile, ignoring him. When he didn't go away, she turned around slowly, and he could see her dark eyes flashing angrily behind her tears. Her brows were angled down menacingly and her glare was definitely not forgiving.

He'd obviously been wrong again- she wasn't just beyond upset. By the tears still coursing down her cheeks, she was devastated. By the clenching of her fists, she was supremely pissed. And by her dark glaring eyes that weren't getting any softer, he was a dead man.

"Pan, I-"

"Shut up."

"But Pan, _please_-"

"Shut. Up." She growled it slowly, jarringly, her voice low and disturbingly hollow.

Not giving up, he reached out with only the slightest bit of hesitation to touch her arm, but she snapped it out of reach.

"Don't touch me." Her expression altered to disgust and she shook her head at him before speeding off again, her raven locks streaming and tangling from the wind, the sunlight highlighting her hair deep brown.

He thought she looked gorgeous, but it really wasn't the time to be paying attention to things like that. "Pan, please wait."

The only sign that she acknowledged him was the series of ki blasts she threw his way.

"Okay, I deserved that," he admitted, after dodging all of them. "Now will you hear me out?"

"Like HFIL I will," she snapped, with her voice still so icy cold it scared him. Then, in a burst of ki, she sped up and attempted to leave him behind. 

She should have been happy he was following her. It had actually been a sort of dream of hers at one time- she'd almost fantasized it- she'd be mad over something silly like food, and he'd chase after her, somehow finding flowers and bringing them along. He'd catch her and beg her, force her to listen. Then he'd tell her how much he loved her, and they'd let… things… happen afterward.

Not anymore. Life wasn't like a fantasy. She wasn't mad over something stupid- he'd just about called her a whore. He was chasing after her, sure, but she hadn't seen any flowers. And the chances of him telling her he loved her were pretty much zero. And if he didn't tell her he loved her, there was an even smaller chance of the… things… that happened afterward. No, life wasn't like a fantasy at all. All she knew was that she was shocked, offended, angry, and more than anything else- futile as it was with her a transformation behind- she just wanted to get away. 

Hmmm… am I being evil or just plotty? What did you think about the chapter? I'm sorry it's so short, I just had to stop there. A question, comments, criticism, flames (of course if you flame me, you might get a "special" author's note that I'm not quite sure you'd like, but hey, that's life…) Anyways, till next time!

~Tanyaneko


	9. o.O I don't like Trunks that way!!

Night Shadows- Chapter 9

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: If I owned it, this wouldn't just be fanfiction.

A/N: As always, I'd like to thank the wonderful people who reviewed: m-chan, ?????, Candy, Yumi, mrchezzysnickers, Saiyan Serpent, OmegaNY, Bunny, AngelQT520, Someone, 32, Yuri, V-chan, Lady of Flame, Flea Son, alannapurple, Sheylan, Ria, Jami-chan, mbjade, and trunkslover1. 

Also, I am very sorry about the delay in posting and the length of this chapter. I really was going to make it a super long chapter because of how short the last one was and how long it's taken me to get this one out. But I've been dealing with time constraints recently, so all I had time to write was the first half of what was supposed to be the really long chapter. (Don't worry though, it can stand by itself.) I just know how you all really don't like waiting, and I had to put up _something, _so here it is. 

And, as a last note, mrchezzysnickers asked to be notified when the chaps come up. If anybody else wants to get e-mail from me when I update, leave your e-mail address in a review or e-mail me at Tanyaneko@aol.com.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Marron blinked coal black eyes as she turned to Ubuu, concerned. "It's been a while, and they're not back yet. What do you think is going on?" She bit her lip and scanned the sky, looking for anything that might be Trunks or Pan, while waiting for some sort of reassurance from Ubuu. He was sweet like that, and he always seemed to know what to say to make everything all right again. _So why isn't he saying anything?_

She turned toward him again, preparing to give him one of her rare full-fledged glares. But she saw that he, too, was scanning the skies. His eyes were narrowed, his features tensed, and Marron started to worry. "Ubuu? Ubuu? What's wrong?"

He continued to frown and his hands clenched at his sides. "Pan's ki. It just went up. Way up." _Trunks… I may not be in love with Pan, but I'm still her friend, and if you did anything…_Ubuu growled and said, slowly, "Marron… maybe sending Trunks after her wasn't the best choice after all."

Marron nodded quietly and held him closer, embracing him and burying her head against his chest for comfort, so close she could hear the thrumming of his heart. "Oh, Ubuu," she whispered in an anguished, broken voice, "what if we messed everything up? We were only trying to help… Ubuu, we were only trying to help…"

"Shh…" he murmured softly to her, rubbing her back with one hand and running the other through her silky, sunny blond hair.

"No…" When she looked up at him again, her eyes were clouded with the same tears that were coursing down her cheeks. "What if this ruins everything? What if we broke them up by sending him after her?" She let out a quiet whimper, crying and scared as a cat staring at the ground from a high-up tree branch.

"Marron," he soothed, his voice deep and warm and wonderfully gentle. "Don't cry. I like it better when you're happy. You have such a pretty smile."

"But Ubuu… if we accidentally broke them up, they might stop loving each other… they might start liking us for real!" she wailed. "I don't love Trunks like that!" Sure, Trunks was strong, rich, and sexy. But he couldn't even let himself love the girl he was so obviously meant to be with. "I mean, he's nice and all, but the boy has _issues_."

"Oh, and there aren't any other reasons you can't love Trunks?" Ubuu teased. He was smiling, and Marron realized it was because _she _wasn't even crying anymore. _How sweet of him to care that much about me._

"Because," he continued, smiling gently down at her, "you're the one and only reason I can't love Pan. Or any other woman, for that matter."

"Oh, Ubuu." She couldn't help but smile back, and as he leaned down to kiss her, just for the moment, they forgot about Trunks and Pan.

* * *

"Pan, _please _stop!" Trunks's tone was plaintive, almost whining. He was beginning to tire of this chase, and honestly, she was starting to annoy him.

"No." Her answer was short, simple, and _exactly the same one _she'd been him for what seemed like the past hour. _Damn her and her stubborn streak, _he thought angrily. Of course he didn't mean in, her strong will was part of what made her Pan. And he loved her for it. _No! Stop that train of thought. I don't love Pan. I don't love Pan. Dontlovepan, dontlovepan, dontlovepan, dontlovepan, dontlovepan. I DON'T LOVE PAN!_

Liar, liar, pants on fire, the annoying little voice in his head whispered. "Shut up!" he yelled.

Pan stopped and turned around, giving him a half questioning, half worried look.

He smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. "Uh… heh… heh…"

Pan hadn't moved, and was still floating there, staring at him oddly.

"Um… well, I got you to stop," he observed meekly. _Yeah, I got her to stop _and_ I save face… heh… heh… I'm an idiot… heh… heh…_

"So, you got me to stop. How do you know I won't fly away again?" She was still looking at him a bit weirdly, but the smirk she'd acquired from spending so much time training with Vegeta was threatening to dance across her features.

"Because." He moved quickly and was behind her, pinning her arms to her sides almost before she knew he was gone.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ooh. What's Trunks going to do, now that he's got Pan to stay still? What's going on with Ubuu and Marron? Will OOC Dende ever return? Find out all this and more on the next exciting… OMG what am I doing? Never mind… I did _not _just sound like the narrator…

Anyway, reviews and comments are always appreciated! ^.^

~Tanyaneko


	10. Sorry

Night Shadows- Chapter 10

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: DBZ- Not mine.

A/N: Okay, before we get on with the story, I have a few things to say: 1. I am not dead. 2. I did not fall off the planet. 3. I am sorry for the delay.

Life has just been getting SERIOUSLY hectic- I only have time to write chappies on the weekends and these past weekends have been party, after party, after party. In truth, it gets annoying after awhile. Anyway, here's the usual long list of thankies: Adria, kristy, AKXTP22, Saiyan Serpent, mrchezzysnickers, riceangel06, Lady Dark Tiger's Eye, alannapurple, Michi Hatabaki, Bubblegum_suppi, V-chan, lalala, Someone, and Cowgirl Ed2002.

On with the fic!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she yelled, trying to turn her head so she could glare at him.

"Making sure you don't fly away again." He was the one smirking now; she could hear it in his voice even if she couldn't turn to see him. She could envision it in her mind well enough: one corner of his mouth would be quirked up and he'd look so horridly sexy. _Dammit! _She wasn't supposed to be thinking that way! She was supposed to be mad at him.

She'd stopped struggling by then- after all, it was Trunks. He wasn't going to hurt her. And even though he was a stubborn, inconsiderate jerk, she still loved him. That was what bothered her the most.

"Anyway, he continued, "now you are going to listen to me."

"La la la… la la la la la…" she sang loudly, drowning out his words. _He can't make me listen! _She thought stubbornly. _He can't, he can't, he can't, he can't, he just can't! _

He sighed in aggravation. Sometimes, she could really be annoying. Almost to the point of insanity, in his opinion. "Pan," he snapped, "You're being childish!"

"Childish? _Childish?_"

"Yes! Yes, you're being childish," he yelled, "and it's annoying!"

"You're the one who called me a name, and you have the nerve to call _me_ childish?"

He sighed again. "I didn't follow you to get into another fight. I followed you to ask you to forgive me."

"So what?"

"Please, Pan."

"What makes you think that I want to listen to you?"

"Nothing. Actually, it's pretty obvious that you don't want to listen to me."

"So why are you trying so hard?"

"You're my friend, Pan! You're one of my best friends in the whole world, and I hate it when you're mad at me!"

She smiled mischievously then. "Fine. Get down on your knees and beg me to forgive you."

He frowned. "Pan…"

"Do you want me to forgive you or not?"

He glared at her, and then landed on a small island. He got down on his knees and looked at her with big pleading blue eyes. "Please Pan? I'm really sorry…"

When he looked at her like that, she was ready to forgive him anything. _Of course Trunks… of course… _Then she stopped. _What am I thinking? I can't let him get to me… not after he did that…_But she wanted to. She really wanted to. _Please… please let him have a good enough reason… _"Trunks? Why did you do it?"

"I didn't like the way you were talking about Marron. I'm sorry, Pan, I didn't mean it. I swear I didn't mean it. You know I don't think that about you!"

She closed her eyes to stop the tears she knew were coming. _Oh, Trunks… that's not good enough… I wish it was… but what you did… that's no reason… You promised me…_

"I'll never say anything like that to you, either, Pan. I know you'll never do anything that would ever give me reason to." __

Then why'd you do it, Trunks?

"She's just innocent, that's all. She's not a cheap slut like you!" __

Why?

She gave up fighting against her emotions and let her tears flow. She, Pan, granddaughter of Son Goku, crying twice in the same day. _Grandpa must be so ashamed of me now…_ "I'm sorry Trunks," she sniffled, "But I can't forgive you. You broke your promise. Now… just leave."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Awww… poor Pan and Trunks… she's not going to forgive him! Waaah! I wonder what's going to happen next… hmm…

Oh, yeah, and if anybody wants to be notified when the chapters come out, leave your e-mail addy in a review or e-mail me at Tanyaneko@aol.com.

Till next time!

~Tany

__


	11. You know it

Night Shadows- Chapter 11 (A.k.a. 'Return of OOC Dende')

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: DBZ- I don't own it or the characters.

A/N: Oh, wow. *sniffle* 200 reviews. I love you people. Thanks to the wonderful: Saiyan Serpent, Angelness, alannapurple, mrchezzysnickers, pan-chan, Sets, m-chan, Bunny, Loaf of Pan, ills, heather, ?????, Dark*Princess*Pan, and Sheylan!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The tears blurred her vision, everything running together in a sorry brown-green mass of splotchy color, but she could still see him. The only move he made was to stand up and carefully brush off his knees, the little grains of sand becoming one with the rest of the shore. His eyes were just smudges of blue now, but she knew they were still pleading, she could _feel _it. "Trunks, I said leave. Please."
He was silent- they were both silent, the only noise being the ever constant roar of the waves cresting and crashing. She walked away slowly, shaking her head. She turned back to look at him once, with pained, tear-filled eyes, and then jumped into the air to get away.
Once Pan was gone, he let the anguished sob escape his throat. Then Trunks, Son of Vegeta, Prince of the Saiyans, fell to the ground and wept. Now he knew what it felt like to be turned away. He knew the pain Pan had felt. And he never wanted to feel this way again. Just another reason he couldn't love her.
****weeks later****
__Dodge. Fake. Punch. Block. Kick. Kick. Block. Punch. Kick. Punch. Fake. Block. Ka-me-ha-me- A sudden bright light, and Pan found herself on the ground. _Or not._
"Why is it I can hardly ever land a hit on you, and I always end up all bruised and bloody?" She complained, wiping a bit of sweat mixed with blood from her forehead before dropping back into a fighting stance.
"Because I'm better than you," Vegeta explained, his larger-than-the-sun ego obviously having an effect on his comment.
Pan rolled her eyes and made a face as he added, "Besides, that's why I am the teacher and you are the student."
__ And here I was, thinking that learning would be over when I finished college. She rolled her eyes again, saying, "I'm your student because I'm the only person who can withstand the beatings who is also naïve enough to be your voluntary punching bag. And you only keep me around because I don't pop like normal punching bags, and I don't shatter like the metal ones Bulma makes for you.
"There are only a few people who can speak to me in such a manner," he warned dangerously, "and you are not-"
"Oh, yes I am and you know it," she chirped, interrupting in a gleeful way she knew would annoy him.
She grinned, knowing she was right when he said nothing else; he only grumbled about spawn of Kakarott who were too audacious for their own good.
They continued to spar and then a sadistic smirk crossed his face. She'd come to realize this was the Vegeta equivalent of a mischievous grin.
"So, third-class, how are things with you and my brat?" He taunted.
"She could tell he was baiting her, and not about to let him win, quipped, "Oh, Bra and I are still good friends. Why do you ask?"
He mistook her answer for stupidity and answered, "This is one of the times you resemble that idiot Kakarott. Besides, had I been talking about my princess, I would have said, 'my princess'. I said 'my brat', so how are things with you and my brat?"
Barely restraining herself from commenting on how totally wrapped Bra had him, she rolled her eyes and muttered, "My problems with the purple-haired pansy you have for a son are your fault, you know. Yours and Dende's." She titled her head skyward and yelled, "Hear that, Dende? I blame you for this!"
**Kami's lookout**
Dende turned greener than he already was and hoped to… well… himself, that Pan would not come up there. Then he started to laugh. "I blame you for this!" He mimicked. "Pan, you've been spending too much time with Vegeta." 
__Hmm… I wonder if Trunks would be jealous of his own father… Dende chuckled evilly and began to scheme.
**GR**
Stubborn as he was, Vegeta was smart enough to know that an angry Pan was not fun to deal with.
"That's enough training in the GR for today. It's time for tactical and strategical study."
In a mood change as quick as a hummingbird's wing, Pan skipped out of the room, delighted. "Yay! Video games!"
***
After beating Vegeta for the 53rd time, Pan yawned. _I think it's time for me to go now. _"Vegeta, I think I'm done for today."
"No, you're not!" he roared. "I demand a rematch!"
"You've said that 53 times. You haven't won a single round."
"I won the first one."
Pan made a face. "You unplugged my controller. That's cheating."
"That wasn't cheating. That was a creative strategic maneuver."
Just then, someone appeared in the doorway, his shadow slightly darkening the fluffy carpet. "What game is that?" Trunks asked. "Can I play?"
The screen abruptly went blank as Pan shut it off. "Actually, I was just leaving," she snapped, her words still icy towards him- _always _icy towards him, ever since the incident.
She stood up and pushed past Trunks to get out, but he grabbed her arm. 
"Pan, we need to talk."
She ignored him and twisted out of his grip, continuing to the front door.
"I was jealous!" he yelled desperately, finally telling her the truth, a hint of a sob making his voice crack. 
She stopped and turned around, waiting for his explanation.
"I was so jealous, Pan. It made me angry, irrational," he began, his tone sorrowfully begging. "You have to believe me. I didn't mean what I said. I'd never mean that, I swear. You know me, Pan. I'd never mean something like that about you. I was just really jealous, and it made me mad," he repeated, looking at her, scared, his blue eyes pleading. Somehow, he had the feeling that if he didn't get her forgiveness now, he never would.
She nodded and smiled at him, her expression radiant, like an angel of mercy, forgiving him. It was good enough this time. He wasn't just trying to protect his pride by saying it was all about Marron anymore. He admitted he was jealous. She was making progress.
"Trunks," she said slowly, "Why did you come after me? Tell me the truth."
"I came after you because I can't stand you mad at me. I can't live with you ignoring me. I think I've been going into withdrawal from not seeing your beautiful smile. For all those reasons, and because I love…"
Was he actually going to say that? Was he really-
"I love being your friend."
Pan laughed, and they were themselves again. _Chicken. _She wasn't too disappointed. She'd get him to admit he loved her soon enough.
Until then…
She walked over to him and whispered something in his ear before stepping out the door and into the sky.
"You love me and you know it."
AWWWWWWWWWWW!
Er… yeah. Anyway. That's it for this chapter! I wonder what's going to happen next?
Oh, and anybody who's not on the mailing list for updates that wants to be on the list, just leave a signed review (I can find your email that way) or just leave your email in a review. Or you can just email me. Any way works, as long as I somehow get your email address. Well, that's it for now!
Ja ne!
~Tany


	12. Evil Namek...

Night Shadows- Chapter 12

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: Don't own it. How very sad.

A/N: Wow… this is really quick for me. A new chapter in little over a week! And it's a pretty long one, besides! I hope you don't all get spoiled, I just have a lot of time because of spring break. You readers are all so wonderful… I love you all. Thank you to Dark*Princess*Pan, mrchezzysnickers, Loaf of Pan, alannapurple, ?????, Saiyan Serpent, ills, Flea Son, underwater angel, Bunny, ?!?!?, Baby, Liz, Pan-chan, m-chan, jackie, and Sheylan.. This is pretty much me bringing humor back into the story before the serious big evil plot twist happens, and the return of the little voice in Trunks's head. Yippee! 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**Kami's lookout**

Dende chuckled at the scene he was watching below him. Oh, how interesting these Saiyans made his life. He broke out into a full-fledged laugh as he prepared to insert certain jealous thoughts into Trunks' mind when Mr. Popo grabbed his arm, stopping him.

The Namek turned around, confused. "Mr. Popo… why'd you do that?"

"I am very sorry Dende, but what you are about to do would be crossing the border into evil. Then you would no longer be guardian of Earth."

"Not be guardian of Earth? No more spying on the silly Saiyans?" Dende's eyes got unbelievably large and he looked horrified.

Mr. Popo nodded, and then, finding that Dende had learned his lesson, went back to tending his garden.

As soon as Mr. Popo's back was turned, Dende grumbled. "Damn him, ruining my fun."

A bolt of lighting came out of the sky and struck Mr. Popo.

Dende's eyes got even bigger and he clamped a green hand over his mouth. "Oops! I didn't mean that literally…"

As the fried Mr. Popo got back up and continued working on the flowers, Dende couldn't help but laugh. Then he remembered what Mr. Popo had told him: _"I am very sorry Dende, but what you are about to do would be crossing the border into evil. Then you would no longer be guardian of Earth." _Earth's green guardian gulped and stared at the sky. "I didn't mean it, I swear. I didn't think it was funny! Really!"

**Meanwhile, on Earth**

They were back in the park where the incident occurred. 

Pan had her hands on her hips and was glaring at Trunks.

Obviously having inherited the pose from Vegeta, Trunks had his arms folded and was smirking at Pan.

Marron and Ubuu were off in a corner munching on sandwiches and looking very confused.

"Well, Ubuu can jump higher than Marron!" Pan argued.

"That's because Ubuu is a fighter and knows how to fly and Marron doesn't!"

"So what? That doesn't make a difference…"

"Yeah? Well, Marron looks better in a dress!"

Pan cocked an eyebrow at him. "You've seen Ubuu in a dress? I thought you were the only crossdresser here," she teased.

"That has nothing to do with anything! I'm just saying that Marron is prettier than Ubuu in a dress!"

Pan rolled her eyes. "That's because Marron is a girl."

"So what? That doesn't make a difference…" Trunks countered, mimicking Pan's earlier argument.

"Yeah, well, Ubuu makes good sandwiches!"

"Marron makes good salad."

"Speaking of sandwiches and salad…" Pan started.

Trunks nodded and turned to the two on the checkered picnic blanket. "Leave some for us, okay?"

"Relax, Trunks," Marron said calmly. "There's still five whole baskets left."

"ONLY FIVE?!?" Trunks and Pan screamed in unison, wearing equally horrified looks on their faces. "WE'LL DIE!!!"

"Don't worry Pan, sweetie," Ubuu soothed, knowing that Marron wouldn't mind and that Pan would enjoy the poorly masked jealousy on Trunks's face. "They're filled with capsules."

The two Saiyans collapsed simultaneously in relief. "Thank Dende…"

**Kami's lookout**

"I know, aren't I the greatest?" The green man beamed. Mr. Popo restrained himself from throwing a pot at Dende's head.

**Earth**

__

Wait, Trunks thought suddenly, _did Ubuu just call MY PAN 'sweetie'? _The purple haired man glared at Ubuu who was smiling innocently on the picnic blanket.

__

You know, the little voice in Trunks's head began, _You just thought of her as 'MY PAN'…_

I did not!

Did too.

Did not!

You know I'm right. Stop arguing with me.

Damn you.

Hehe.

Besides, you're jealous of Ubuu.

Am not!

And maybe even your father.

What?

Yeah… Vegeta spends all that time with her in the gravity room…

So?

Aren't you dying to know what goes on in there?

They just spar, that's all!

So that's what they call in nowadays!

Pan's not like that! Neither is my dad! Shut up…

You can't make me…

Watch me.

You're jealous of Ubuu, you're jealous of your dad, you're jealous of Goten…

I am NOT jealous of GOTEN!

Really? He lives next door to Pan…

So what? He's her uncle!

You're jealous of every guy who has ever met Pan…

I am not!

Are too!

Am not!

I'm right and you know it.

Not this again… Dende, I blame you!

"Hey Trunks…" Pan waved her hand in front of his face… "You spaced out there…"

All three of them were staring at the lavender-haired demi-saiyan oddly.

__

Dende, I swear…

**Kami's lookout**

Dende's eyes were now bigger than his head. "I swear I didn't do it! I am not responsible for little voices…" He looked suspiciously at Mr. Popo, who was chuckling evilly in his garden…

**Earth**

"Yeah, well, um…" Trunks started, and the argument was on again.

Ubuu rolled his eyes and Marron giggled uncontrollably. Ubuu glanced at her fondly, then transferred his gaze to Pan when he saw Trunks look their way.

__

He's drooling at Pan again, the evil little voice persisted.

__

He's not drooling.

Well, you are…

I am not!

Are too.

Am not!

Are- oof!

**Kami's lookout**

The voice was cut off as Dende punched Mr. Popo in the nose, wailing, "It's not fair! How come you get to mess with his head and I don't! You're a meanie, Mr. Popo!"

**Earth**

__

Hmm… the voice is gone…Trunks mused to himself. _Finally…no Thanks to Dende, _he thought, unknowing that the voice going away was one of the few things Dende was actually responsible for.

He tried to think up a good comeback, and coming up with nothing, said, "Marron reminds me of a swirly lollipop."

Pan blinked, phased for about a second, before snapping back with, "Well, Ubuu reminds me of a… of a…" _Ubuu… Buu…Fat Buu… Fat… Marshmallow! _"Well, Ubuu reminds me of a marshmallow!"

On the picnic blanket, the two looked at each other with confused eyes. "Food analogies?" Marron asked, caught between a laugh and a shudder.

Ubuu responded in exactly the same tone. "Saiyans. What else is there to say?"

The blond nodded. "Of course."

"Anyway," Pan continued, "That settles it. Ubuu is better than Marron."

"What are you talking about?" Trunks screamed. "This settles nothing! Marron is better than Ubuu!"

"Ubuu is better than Marron!"

"Marron is better than Ubuu!"

"Trunks, can we stop now?" Pan turned on him with dark pleading eyes, and he felt himself start to give in. "Please, Trunks? I'm hungry!" She wailed.

His stomach chose that moment to grumble in agreement.

"That doesn't mean this is over!"

"Of course."

As they sat down and encapsulated about enough sandwiches to cover almost 100 square feet of grass, Ubuu got up, saying he needed to take a walk. Marron followed shortly, saying she had to powder her nose. Neither really needed to make an excuse as the two demi-Saiyans were too engrossed in their eating to notice anyway.

Behind a few trees, where they couldn't be seen, Ubuu put his arms around Marron, who looked away, troubled.

"What's wrong, Marron?"

"This isn't working, Ubuu… Nothing is working…" She shook her head.

"Marron, what are you saying?"

"I'm going to have to…"

"Marron, I thought we said we weren't going to do that unless it was an emergency!"

She looked down, the shadows hiding her face so he couldn't see the expression in her eyes. He could tell she was upset, and it was confirmed when he saw her tears splashing to the leaf-covered ground.

"I'm scared, Ubuu," she sniffled. "I have to do it, I know I do, but I'm so scared…" She looked at him, the pain and tears in her eyes making _him_ hurt. 

But he had to be strong, for her. He loved her, and he had to make her believe that everything was going to work out. He couldn't stand to see her like this. "Shh… Marron, it'll be okay. You can do it, I know you can, and everything's going to be okay…"

"What if something goes wrong? What if it doesn't work? What if I have to… I have to… to-" she couldn't finish her sentence as she shook, sobbing. He just held her, and let her cry.

"Oh, Ubuu…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ooh… what is Marron going to have to do? (evil freaky horror music) Dum dum dum!! Will it work? 

Keep on reading, people, and find out next chapter…

Will everything end up happy?

Or will it all fall apart?

As always, leave a signed review, or your e-mail, and I'll stick you on the list, or just e-mail me if you don't want to do that.

~Tany


	13. Tears

Night Shadows- Chapter 13

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: Ah… the horrid reality. DBZ/GT is not mine… WAAAAAAAAAAH!

A/N: Here I am again, with another chapter. Thank you to everyone who likes and reviews this story: Baby, alannapurple, Lauren Williams, EDPTgirl, Loaf of Pan, Yumi, ?!?!?, Saiyan Serpent, ills, jackie, Sheylan, AngelQT520, Starlight, Flea Son, :), Z, Dark*Princess*Pan, mari/mbjade, and mrchezzysnickers.

And thank you to Kaiyo-henshin for helping me figure out how to write this chapter!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I couldn't do it."

He looked up at her from where he was sitting in a chair, where he'd been waiting for her to come back for the past hour, with his head in his hands, wanting to cry, but being strong because she needed him to be.

She was standing there, her head down. Her blond locks were dripping wet- he realized he'd been so lost in his sorrow, pushing away his feeling of abandonment, he hadn't given any attention to the weather. "It's raining. Why did you walk?"

"I… I needed to think." She sighed once, knowing what she must have put him through, even if it was just an act she'd gone to play… how it must have felt for him… if she'd been in his place, she had no idea what she'd have done. And she still hadn't gone through with it, and that only meant he'd have to be put through it all again. "You must be so disappointed in me."

He ran a hand through his dark hair, just looking at her. "Never… never. I'll never be disappointed in you. I love you."

That was it. He was so sweet, so amazing, so caring, so loving… she couldn't do that to him, even if she was just pretending to. That was why she'd frozen, why she'd gotten all stiff and had turned around and run in the opposite direction, run through the rain with her tears in her eyes blurring so badly she hadn't seen where she was going. That was why she was breaking down now, falling to her knees and sobbing, her head in her hands. "I'm so sorry, Ubuu… I-I just couldn't… I didn't call or anything… so he didn't know I was going to be there… I just… my hand… and the doorknob… I k-kept shaking… I couldn't… I couldn't… I'm sorry, but I couldn't!"

She let her head fall to his shoulder- some time during her incoherent anguished babble, he'd come to kneel down next to her, putting his arms around her, letting her sob, and soothing her. "It's okay. It's okay. I believe in you. Don't you ever forget that. I know you can do it, and when you've done it, everything's going to be okay… everything's going to be fine, and we can be together, and everyone will be happy… you'll see… I'll be waiting right here for you, and you'll come back to me, and you'll be smiling. You'll be smiling, and so happy, because everything will be fine again." 

Dark eyes stared into darker (A/N: Yes, people, Marron's eyes are black. She has Krillin's eyes. Watch DBZ or GT. You'll see it…) and she nodded, her eyes no longer tearing, but determined. "I'll come back, and you'll be here waiting for me. I'll be smiling, and happy, because everything will be fine again." She repeated what he'd told her, his words helping her believe they were true. She stood up and walked to the door, pausing once to turn around and blow him a kiss. Then she walked to her car with quick, determined steps, and drove to Capsule Corp.

~*~

This time, she didn't freeze. She thought of Ubuu, thought of how happy they'd be together when this was over, and pushed the door open, smiling at Bulma when she walked an, and then going up to Trunks's room, and pushed that door open too.

"Trunks, we need to talk."

He looked at her with confused blue eyes. "You're not breaking up with me, are you?"

She shook her head. _I wish I were. Dende, this had better work. Seriously, if this doesn't snap him out of it and make him realize we're not supposed to be together, I don't know what I'll do._

"Well, if that's not it, what is it? You look serious."

"I am serious, Trunks." She walked over to him, sat on his bed next to him and smiled- a fake but still believable smile- and kissed him on the cheek. "Trunks, we've been together for a while, right?"

"Yes…"

"And you care about me, right?"

"Yes…"

"Trunks, I think we should get married." She smiled at him again, this time a genuine smile. _I did it. It's over. Thank Dende, it's all over. Now he'll realize. He'll realize he can't do this, he'll realize he can't be with me. I won't have to do any of this any more. _As he sat there, silently, she wondered what he was thinking.

~*~

"Trunks, I think we should get married." That wasn't what he expected, that much was certain. He looked at her, shocked, wondering what brought this about, when he saw her bright, happy smile. It wasn't anything like Pan's… didn't have the same effect on him at all… but she was happy. She obviously wanted this, and he had no idea what to say to her.

He couldn't marry her… he didn't love her. He'd known that for a while, he knew he never would, but… _I don't love her. I'll never love her…this is it. _If he married Marron, everything would be over. He'd never have to worry about loving Pan, he'd be bound to someone else. He'd never have to worry about Pan hurting him, there would no longer be a chance of anything like that happening. He wouldn't be afraid any more. This would be his escape. There would be no more pain.

"Marron… you're right. We should. You think about a ring, and I'll go get it, and I can propose to you properly."

She looked at him sharply, and he thought he saw shock on her face, but that was gone in a moment, replaced by her smile again. A different smile this time, but he didn't understand what was changed. No matter. He'd have the rest of his life to figure it out. It didn't feel right, but he could make it work, the same way he'd been making their relationship work, and he'd never have to worry about Pan again… Pan could go and marry Ubuu for all he cared… but he did care, and it hurt to think it… _I don't have to worry about that anymore. I'm getting married. I'll get used to it… I'll get used to it, and it won't hurt anymore._

"Okay, Trunks… I'll go… I-I'll go now and think about that ring… I'll tell you when I-I've picked it out…" Something was off about her voice- he couldn't tell what, and there was something off in the way she walked out the door, but he just couldn't figure it out.

~*~

Marron ran down the hall, and didn't notice Bra standing outside her brother's door. She continued to run down the stairs and out into the rain, and that was when she started to cry.

~*~

Bra's eyes were wide with what she'd just heard and her mouth hung open as she slid down the wall to fall to the floor. _No… he couldn't have… Trunks, you idiot… what about Pan? _Then she realized her friend deserved to know, and she'd have to be the one to tell her. Tears came to her eyes for the pain it would cause her friend, and she began to cry- for Pan, for Trunks, for the horrible anguished look on Marron's face, for them all. _How am I supposed to tell Pan?_

~*~

"Bra!" Pan greeted happily, opening the door for her friend. "What are you doing here? I think I've almost got him, Bra… come to my closet and see… you're gonna love this, I know you will… I mean, I can hardly believe I'm going to wear it, but hey, if I-"

"No, Pan." Bra cut her off, and there was something sad in her tone, something scared, something that made Pan stop and stare at the aqua-haired woman, wondering what was going on.

"What do you mean, no? Usually, you're more than excited when I decide to actually wear a dress. I don't understand. What's wrong?"

Bra looked down and bit her lip. She ran a hand through her hair, twisting it and untwisting it, and then twisting it again, before letting it fall. "Pan… I don't know how to say this, but… oh, this is hard… I'm really sorry but…"

"Bra? What is it? It can't be that bad." She looked at her friend, hoping for a nod of affirmation, or a smile, or anything, anything that could give her a hint of how big of a problem it was.

"Trunks is getting married."

A strangled sound came from Pan's throat as she looked at Bra. "It's a joke, right? You're kidding, right?" She choked out a mirthless laugh, waiting for Bra to tell her she was just kidding.

She didn't.

"Oh, Dende…" Pan sat down in the nearest chair and looked away from Bra, trying her hardest to hide her tears. "It's over, then," she whispered. "That's it. He really doesn't love me."

"Pan, if there's anything I can do… I'm sure my idiot brother just-"

"Bra? Could you please leave? I… I need to be alone."

With one last sorrowful glance at her friend, who was shaking in her effort to contain her sobs, Bra walked out the door. _Poor Pan…_

~*~

Bra walked outside, and looked up at Pan's window. The light was on, and she saw the dark-haired woman throw herself on her bed. Her Saiyan hearing picked up Pan's anguished sobs. She shook her head, wishing desperately that there were something she could do to comfort her friend. But Pan would only cry alone.

Bra couldn't stand the feeling of helplessness, of standing by and watching her friend be hurt. _Maybe I can get Daddy to beat Trunks into thinking sense again. _She shook her head, dismissing that option. Vegeta was better at beating people sense_less_.

She moaned at how hopeless it was. Now she'd have to watch as her brother and best friend lived miserable lives. She needed to get away from this. She needed someone to comfort her, someone to listen to her, someone to hold her… _Goten…_

~*~

"Bra! What are you doing here?" Goten asked, holding open the door for her.

"You know, you're the second Son who's asked me that today," she said, making an attempt at a joke.

He looked at her oddly, then noticed how upset she looked. "Bra? What's wrong?"

She looked at him with big, tear-filled blue eyes, filled with such pain that he wanted so badly to make disappear. He closed the door behind her and in two steps was at her side with his arms around her.

"Bra? What is it? You can tell me…"

"It's horrible, Goten… just horrible… he's such a jerk…"

He stiffened immediately. If someone hurt his Bra… he started growling low in his throat, and Bra looked at him, saw the love in his eyes, in his protective gaze, felt it in his embrace.

"It's not like that, Goten. It's Trunks… Pan's hurting so badly… I just told her, and I don't know what to do…"

"What happened?" He was relieved and then worried… nobody was hurting Bra, but Pan was his niece, and he loved her too.

"Trunks… he's… he's marrying Marron."

Shock crossed his features, and he stared at her for a moment before his cell phone rang. "I'll let the voice mail get it. You're more important to me than a phone call."

"But Goten… isn't that Trunks's tone? Answer it… maybe you can talk to him…" Her eyes were pleading, flickering with tiny bits of hope. Maybe Goten could do something… maybe he could fix it… maybe…

He nodded, and flipped out his phone, pressing 'talk' and bringing it to his ear. "Hello? Goten speaking. Oh, hey, Trunks…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

So, people, what did you think? Tell me! I want to know!

Next chapter… what is Goten going to say to Trunks? Will it change anything? Pan is about to make a big decision… what is she going to do?

See ya back next time!

~Tany


	14. Decisions

Night Shadows- Chapter 14

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: Nope. Don't own it. Never have. Probably never will. Too bad.

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has been reading this story. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Thanks so much to everyone who is actually still reading it. I'm very sorry that it took so long to get this chapter out. I had kind of a mini burnout and had to take a break from the whole fanfiction scene. I really don't know when I'll get the next chapter out as school is starting soon and I'll be busy, but here's this chapter. Thanks so much for sticking around.

Love, 

Tany

P.S. Guess what people? Tomorrow (August 21) is my birthday! Happy birthday to me! ^.^

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Summary of the story (since I know it's been a while):

Pan's in love with Trunks. Trunks is in love with Pan, but he's being a pansy. How's that for a summary? Hehe, just kidding. Anyway, to make himself stop thinking about Pan, Trunks starts going out with Marron. Pan goes out with Ubuu to make Trunks jealous. But Marron and Ubuu are in *looooooove*. Oooooooh. Yeah. So Marron asks Trunks to marry her in the hopes that it will jolt him to his senses. It doesn't, and instead he says yes, thinking he'll never have to worry about loving Pan if he does. Bra overhears and then tells Pan, who is heartbroken, of course. Emotionally drained, Bra needs someone to talk to- Goten. She tells him everything. Then Trunks calls Goten to tell him the news, and this is where our story picks up…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Trunks, Buddy. Why are you calling?" Bra heard Goten say. He was obviously lying- but then again, there was absolutely no way he was going to let Trunks know that he knew perfectly well why his purple-haired friend was calling.

Bra looked at him, and deciding it would be better if Goten talked to Trunks on his own, mouthed, "Maybe I should go and try to talk to Pan again." 

Goten nodded, and after his aqua-haired girlfriend walked out the door, continued listening to Trunks.

~*~

"Well, Goten, you'll never believe it," he was saying, "but…"

__

Nope, Goten thought. _I don't. I can't believe you'd do something like this._

"But, see… I'm getting married."

Goten paused for a moment, let his friend think he was shocked speechless, then said, "So you love her then?"

"…No."

"Then why, Dende, Trunks, tell me _why_ are you marrying her?"

"Because I love Pan."

Goten looked at the phone, glared at it as if it were Trunks, and then said, "Man, you are making absolutely no sense. You love someone else, so you're marrying a girl you're not in love with."

"Exactly."

"Please. Explain to me how this makes any sense at all."

Goten heard Trunks sigh over the line before he said, carefully, "I have to marry her, Goten. It hurts… not being with Pan. I have to make it stop. I _have_ to marry Marron. It's the only way."

The black haired man rolled his eyes, not caring that his friend couldn't see it. "Uh… you could always tell Pan you love her. She loves you. You know that."

"I KNOW!" Trunks was yelling now. "I KNOW!"

"Then why don't you tell her?"

"Because she can hurt me, Goten. She can hurt me and someday, when she's not in love with me anymore, she will."

"How do you know you're not just meant to be together?"

"Dende, Goten. What are the chances of that happening?"

"So you're going to let yourself be unhappy now just because someday she might not love you anymore. Of course. I can see your logic perfectly." Goten was getting rather annoyed and it was making him uncharacteristically sarcastic.

"You don't understand, Goten. All my life, I've never felt this way before. It's too intense. It's… it's scary. I have to make it stop. I can't give in, because one day she might walk away. And I don't think I'd be able to handle that."

Goten was silent for a moment, and then he said something slowly and quietly. "Trunks, I know I'm not the smartest guy in the world. But have you ever thought that if you're meant to be together, she'll never leave you? And if you're not, it won't hurt so badly if she does?"

The other side of the line was dead quiet. Then Goten heard the phone drop, and the sound of Trunks running out the door. He smiled.

~*~

Bra took a deep breath and knocked on Pan's door. She hoped Pan was in better condition now- Bra knew that her dark-haired friend needed to talk, but it really wouldn't work if she… well… didn't want to talk.

This time, when Pan opened the door, she wasn't smiling. Instead, her lips were pressed together in a frown, tear tracks covered her wet cheeks, and her eyes… her eyes were red and puffy of course, but that wasn't really what bothered Bra. It was the look in them- darker than usual, almost dead in the way they were completely devoid of hope. And there was no cheery hello, she just stood aside and let her friend walk in.

Bra tried to smile, and managed pathetically, but it was just so hard when Pan was like that. Her usually vibrant friend reminded her of a wilting flower- pale, and limp and looking close to collapse. "So…" she started a bit awkwardly, "how are you doing?"

Pan was honest. "Horrible," she whispered in a voice ragged from sobbing and Bra knew she couldn't say anything louder.

As they sat down, she turned to Bra with a determined looked in her eyes. It wasn't the usual type… it was a hollow, hopeless type of determination, the kind that made Bra scared to think of one thing she might do.

"Pan… what… no- you can't!"

The black-haired girl laughed hollowly. "I'm not killing myself Bra, if that's what you're worried about." Bra sighed in relief, but then Pan continued. "This will hurt more."

Pan looked down at her hands as Bra stared at her. For a while, she didn't say anything, and then finally, she looked at her friend with tear-shiny eyes. "I… I've thought about it. I've thought about it so much, and now it's the only thing I can do. You see, I still love him. Even after all this, I still love him."

__

Huh? Bra blinked confused blue eyes as she continued listening to her companion. Maybe Pan would make sense in a bit.

"You know," Pan was saying, with another cheerless little laugh, "I really did think he loved me too. I mean, I thought… I was beginning to think I had him."

"You had every right to," Bra consoled, patting her friend's hand. "I thought so too, I think we all did…"

"No, not as much as I did… Dende, how stupid of me. But then, I was probably just seeing things how I wanted to see them. Foolish of me… how foolishly stubborn. Maybe he was telling the truth the first time when he told me he'd said those mean things because he was defending Marron. Maybe he just made up all that about being jealous just so that I would talk to him again."

Bra didn't know what to tell her. Was there anything that she could? 

And Pan wasn't finished. "He's marrying her, not me. He's in love with her, not me. That's why I have to do what I have to do. Bra… I'm giving up. I'm going to let him go."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

And that's it for this chapter! Sorry it's kinda short, but I had to end it there. Hope you all liked it… 

Ooh… what's going to happen next? Why was Goten so happy when Trunks dropped the phone (okay, so that part's obvious…) Where did Trunks go? How is Ubuu going to take the news of the engagement? When is Bra going to start wondering why Marron was crying in the hallway? Why am I writing so questions? The answers to all these (or at least some) will soon be revealed in the next chapter.

Until next time,

~Tany


	15. -bleep-

Night Shadows- Chapter 15

A.K.A. "Oh, fuck!"

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: Not mine. Ha ha ha! You can't sue me now!"

A/N: Thank you to all the wonderful people reviewing, I love you all! Alannapurple, Jackie, coherentidiot, SpunkoLotus, Baby, pan-chan16k, MBJade, mrchezzysnickers, dolphincutie, SSJ Son Kat, Lady of Flame, Animechick, Riptide, Bluedreamer, Angelness, Supaa Saiyajin Trinity, dbz obsessed, and dragon agility!

A/N # 2: This is pretty much a filler chapter, a slightly humorous bit to break up all the angst (I know it was getting pretty thick). The main theme/joke is pretty childish, it's just me trying to get all the DBZ characters to say "Oh, fuck." Yeah. Pretty stupid. But whatever. If you want to read it, here it is. (And yeah, there are little bits that actually pertain to the story.)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Oh, fuck!" Chi Chi screamed after dropping the comically large pot of water she'd been bringing to the stove for boiling.

And so it began.

She frowned as she began mopping up the spilled liquid. If Goku had been there, he could have carried it for her. "I miss my Goku." She sniffled, and then suddenly started bawling. "Why'd you leave me, Goku?" she cried. "How _dare_ you leave me! I swear, Goku, when I see you again…"

~*~

Where Goku was, he watched with horrified eyes. Sure, he loved Chi Chi, but the woman could be awfully scary sometimes. _I just hope she can't bring the frying pan to Heaven with her, _he thought, cringing. He walked over to a conveniently nearby large white sign that read: 'Things Permitted in Heaven.'

"Hmm…" he said to himself, glancing at the long list. "Angels, clouds… no, lower… harps… no, higher… D, E, F… frying pans!" His eyes widened, and he hoped that Chi Chi lived a nice long- no, really, _really_ long life. He thought of his wonderful wife and her wonderful cooking… and then her horrifying, terror-striking, weapon-of-doom frying pan.

"Oh, fuck," the spiky-haired man muttered, before promptly clamping a hand over his mouth. He hoped nobody else in Heaven had heard him. He'd been told you could get booted _downstairs_ for things like that.

~*~

Down in HFIL, certain villainous residents shrieked in terror. "Oh, fuck!" They remembered the beatings they'd gotten the last time they'd met Goku, and hoped- really, really _hoped_ that nobody up there had heard Goku's little slip.

~*~

Up in Heaven, Goku sighed in relief. He'd gotten away with it. He was preparing to send a thank-you to Dende when his stomach rumbled. Immediately, he forgot everything that had just happened. "Time to eat!" he called out happily.

~*~

In her kitchen, Chi Chi had finally stopped ranting, and was crying again. Of course, this did nothing to help mop up the spill and instead, the water level began to rise as Chi Chi continued to sob until she was drowning in her own kitchen.

~*~

__

Hmm. I should probably Help Chi Chi with the cooking, Videl thought as she walked next door to her mother-in-law's house. As she twisted the doorknob and pulled open the door, water rushed out violently to greet her. 

"Oh, fuck!" she yelled as it carried her away.

It deposited her rather unceremoniously in a bush, and she hissed at the ugly red scratches it left on her skin. While she picked twigs off of herself, she heard people talking.

~*~

"Oh, fuck," Marron was whispering over and over again as she stared at her left hand, at the place where a diamond ring would lie in a few days. "Oh, fuck," she repeated, tears in her eyes. "How, _how_ am I going to tell Ubuu?"

And that was when he walked up to her.

"Tell me what?" The dark skinned man asked with a grin. "Good news, I hope."

Then she looked up at him and he noticed her teary eyes. "What's wrong?"

"He said yes," she admitted, her voice quiet and broken.

"_What_? Oh, fuck!" A second later, he added, "I'm going to kill him."

When he was about to fly off, the blond woman grabbed his arm. "Don't do that, Ubuu," she pleaded. "I don't want to become a widow before I'm married," she commented, trying to joke.

"It's not funny, Marron," Ubuu insisted, but the knot between his eyebrows loosened and a hint of a smile appeared on his face.

"I know. And he's being stupid and stubborn and worst of all, he's not you. But I know we'll find a way." Her voice was slightly wavering from her wanting to cry, but still undeniably determined.

"How are we going to turn him into me?" Ubuu quipped.

"I thought you said it wasn't funny."

"Maybe I changed my mind." Then the lightly joking tone in his voice changed into a determination similar to hers just a moment before. "I know, too. We'll make it. We will." 

~*~

Bra saw Ubuu and Marron hugging as she walked to Goten's place, but she was too preoccupied with what Pan had told her to wonder why Pan's boyfriend and Trunks's fiancée were in each other's arms.

When she finally got there, she was surprised to see the front door wide open, swinging back and forth in the light breeze. It was then she heard a distinctive *squelch* and she looked down at her new high heels, covered in mud. "Oh, fuck. I just bought these yesterday!" That was when she noticed that everything looked as if a flood had hit. She walked in and she saw Chi Chi sobbing in the middle of her water-covered kitchen floor. Immediately deciding she didn't want anything to do with _that_, Bra shook her head and headed straight for Goten's room. As she walked, she wondered about the kitchen. _What the HFIL happened here?_

~*~

"What the HFIL happened here?" Vegeta roared as he opened the refrigerator and found it empty. He was about to yell for Bulma to go out and get something when he heard a crash- coming from the direction of her lab.

"Oh, fuck." Any second now, he'd have to hear his wife's annoying-

"Oh, fuck!" Bulma screeched. "That was my new prototype! Oh fuck, of fuck, _oh fuck_!"

There it was. _Well, now I know the woman is still alive._ He shrugged and went back to searching for food.

~*~

__

Food… yum. Gohan was hungry and walked to his mother's house to see if she'd cooked anything yet.

When he saw the mess of the kitchen, an "oh, fuck" slipped his lips before he realized his mother was sitting there. Once he did notice her presence, and the fact that she was glaring at him for using such language, he ran out of the house and flew away as fast as he could.

He crashed into a meditating Piccolo and answered simply, "My mother," to his former mentor's "What are you doing here?"

~*~

"What are you doing here?" Goten asked Bra.

"Why are you smiling?" She asked back, wondering how he could be so happy when such horrible things were happening.

"You tell me first."

"No, you tell me."

"No, _you_ tell _me_ first."

"Trunks is going to tell Pan he loves her!" "Pan's giving up on Trunks!" they exclaimed at the same time.

"_WHAT?_" "_WHAT?_"

"_Oh, fuck!_" "_Oh, fuck!_" They groaned together. Just when things were getting good, the could go terribly wrong…

~*~

Meanwhile, Gohan and Piccolo were looking for a place to hide the demi-Saiyan from his mother. So far they'd tried Krillen and 18, Yamcha, Mr. Satan, Tien, and all the other people they knew, or even just met on the street. The response was always the same. First they'd say yes, then they'd say, "Oh, fuck!" when they realized they were dealing with the wrath of Chi Chi and refer Gohan to somewhere else.

~*~

Suddenly, all at the same time, everyone looked to the sky and yelled, "Dende, we blame you for this!"

~*~

***Kami's lookout***

"Oh, fuck," Dende whimpered, turning a paler shade of green.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

I answered at least ONE question, right? Well, next chapter, it gets serious again, don't worry. 

Remember, I wanna know what you think! (In other words, reviews are very cool things.)

~Tany

P.S. Also, for a little bit of shameless self-promotion, I've started a new story, Hit and Run, which I'll be doing differently- really quick updates and short chapters style. If you like my work, you might wanna check it out. ^.~ Thanks!


	16. Love

Night Shadows- Chapter 16

by Tanyaneko

Disclaimer: Don't sue me. I'll cry. Besides, I'm saying it right here- I don't own it! Oh, and I don't own the song _I Will Always Love You_ either. That's by Whitney Houston. Great song…

A/N: Thank you, thank you, wonderful reviewers! You're the best! ^.^ Thanks to Baby, Riptide, mrchezzysnickers, dolphinskickbutt, ***, riceangel06, Animechick, Netty, pan-chan16k, Hanamaru825, amcm74, alannapurple, SSJ Son Kat, Jackie, dragon agility, PD, and Cka3ka. And thanks SO SO much to Cka3ka for betareading for me. This chapter would have had a bunch of mistakes without your help!

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pan wiped away the last of her tears. Oh, she was sure she was going to start crying again soon, but she could at least _try_ to be strong and pretend she wasn't about to for a while. She wanted to be strong- _needed_ to be strong. She knew exactly what she had to do- knew that she loved him. And because she loved him, she was going to do it.

**__**

If I should stay

I would only be in your way

So she opened up her window and jumped out. She hovered in the air for just a moment, trying to grab back onto her illusions, let herself be happy for just five seconds. She had absolutely no success and flew off in the direction of Capsule Corp.

She closed her eyes as she flew- it didn't matter, she could get there with her eyes closed, literally- hoping that maybe if she didn't see how close she was getting, maybe she _could_ hold on to the fact that she hadn't given him up _yet_ for just a tiny bit longer. But that just made her remember how hard she'd tried, and that started the tears flowing again. With characteristic determination, she flared her ki, forcing the little droplets coursing down her cheeks to evaporate into nearly nothingness. With nothing to wipe away, it was a bit easier to make herself stop crying again. Still hard, but easier.

**__**

So I'll go but I know

I'll think of you

Every step of the way

It was because Pan had her eyes closed that she nearly crashed into Trunks. If he hadn't called her name, she would have. She'd been too concentrated on willing herself not to cry that she hadn't noticed his approaching ki.

"Pan!" He exclaimed, and she thought she heard surprise in his voice.

She halted and opened her eyes to see him floating there. His lavender hair was wind-tangled and his shirt was crumpled- it was obvious to her that he'd been flying at top speed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him, wondering what he'd been flying so fast for that he'd messed up his usually perfect appearance.

"What are _you_ doing here?" he questioned back.

"I needed to talk to you," they said simultaneously.

"It's important!" Again, in perfect unison.

"Oh."

It was Pan who'd spoken. She noticed Trunks was silent. It looked to her like he was contemplating something. She just stared at him for a moment with deeply sad eyes, taking in how handsome he looked, how charming he was, how _Trunks_. Maybe for the last time, she wasn't sure. She didn't know how she'd be after she told him, but she had a feeling it would be too painful for her to stay.

Then she took a deep breath and said it. "I'll go first. I have to say this now because I don't know if I'll be able to later if I wait.

"I love you. You know that, right? It's taken me a while, but now I understand you'll never love me like that." She saw him open his mouth, but she shook her head to keep him from speaking. She had to finish. She had to get this out. She _had_ to.

**__**

And I will always love you

I will always love you

You my darling mmm

"I realize now I'll never be anything more than a really close friend to you. I understand I've been a bother to you recently, ever since that night in my room. I know the kiss that happened didn't mean anything to you, that it was just a mistake. I was hoping too much, and deluded myself into thinking there was something to hope for." 

**__**

Bittersweet memories

That is all I'm taking with me

She paused to take a few deep breaths- the look she was shooting him ensured Trunks would not interrupt her. The tears had started again sometime during her speech, and it was becoming hard for her to talk. But she had to talk, because she loved him. She loved him, so she had to let him go.

**__**

So goodbye, please don't cry

We both know I'm not what you, you need

"So I'm going to stop. I'm going to quit bothering you and trying to make you fall in love with me. I won't stand in your way anymore.

**__**

And I will always love you

I will always love you

"I… I heard about the engagement. I hope that you're happy with Marron, really I do. I promise I'll leave you two alone." Her voice started to break, but she continued on haltingly but determinedly. "I… I can't promise… to s-stop lov… loving you.

**__**

I hope life treats you kind

And I hope you have

All you've dreamed of

And I wish you joy

And happiness

But above all this, I wish you love

"I'll love you forever, Trunks," she finished in a whisper, and then turned to fly away.

**__**

And I will always love you

I will always love you

~*~

"Oh," Trunks heard her say, and then he slipped into daydreaming about how happy they'd be after he admitted to loving her.

**__**

And I will always love you

I will always love you

He was getting ready to just say it when she started talking. When she said the bit about him never loving her, he tried to interrupt, tried to tell her that she was wrong, that-

But she shook her head at him, and he was forced to close his mouth and simply listen.

He noticed when she started crying, saw the tears sliding down her cheeks and the way she stubbornly ignored them and just kept going. Trunks wanted so badly to stop her talking, to take her in his arms and kiss away her tears and tell her that he loved her over and over again. But he knew Pan and knew her looks, and the one she was wearing now told him he was most definitely not allowed to interrupt.

**__**

And I will always love you

I will always love you

He could only float there, shocked, when she turned and fled away from him. He couldn't think, couldn't move- all he could do was stare.

When he finally snapped out of it, he turned in her direction and yelled, "No, Pan! I love you too!"

**__**

And I will always love you

I will always love you

But she was gone, and no one heard him, only the stars, the dark night sky, and the shadows they cast- night shadows. 

__

But night shadows are only an illusion…He knew that now… he could see past them now… he understood now- 

Except she was _gone._

"I love you…"

It was too late. _She's gone._

**__**

I, I will always love you

You, darling I love you

I'll always, I'll always love you

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Boo-hoo, boo-hoo! Oh, the angst! The angst! Next chapter, will things _finally_ be resolved? We shall see… Now remember, as always, tell me what you think! ^.^

~Tany


	17. The End

Night Shadows- Chapter 17  
  
  
  
by Tanyaneko  
  
  
  
Disclaimer: If the characters were mine, T/P would be obviously canon. So, yeah, I don't own them. So don't sue.  
  
  
  
A/N: Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: MBJade, Baby, alannapurple, Jackie, mrchezzysnickers, Hana-Maru285, amcm74, Trunks_gal0, Fallon, Netty1, Cha Seew Bow, dragon agility, AnimeFreak-TrunksPan-luver4evr,Tyleet87, ?????, Midnight Passion, Yukiko Shinomori, Cka3ka, Z Cold, Krazy Brunette, Empress of Insanity, Riptide, dragonmoon, Sai, waterprincess, riceangel06, Pia Bartolini, Rose Lily, Rika-chan, absent one, Lil Pan, ladybugg, aquaprincess1, babe_galanime, babiixbai, Liana, and Kirie05. You all are really great.  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
"I love you…"  
  
  
  
  
  
It was too late. She was gone.   
  
  
  
  
  
Then, new purpose flashing like lightning in his determination-darkened eyes, Trunks realized that it wasn't too late. She didn't have to be gone.  
  
  
  
  
  
I'm faster than her, he thought. I can catch up, easy.  
  
  
  
  
  
And if she argues? the little voice in his head challenged.  
  
  
  
  
  
I'm stubborn too. Haven't exactly been showing it in a good way recently, he admitted to himself, but I can.  
  
  
  
  
  
So why aren't you going after her? The annoying voice persisted.  
  
  
  
  
  
Trunks blinked at that and then, with a shake of his head and a grin, shot in Pan's direction. "Why, indeed."   
  
  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Pan landed on a random island, having no idea what it even looked like, a combination of wind and tears greatly blurring her vision.  
  
  
  
  
  
She sat down on some grass- or maybe sand, or rocks- how was she to know? Her tears were in her eyes too much to see, her uncontrollable sobs too loud for her to hear anything else, and she hurt too much to feel.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Oh," she choked out in a whisper. "Oh, oh, oh… it's over. It's really, really over. It's over…"  
  
  
  
  
  
"I did it. I really did it." All she could do was repeat sentences, and when she curled up into a ball on the ground, she said, over and over again, "I gave him up. I gave him up. I gave him up. Trunks… it hurts…"  
  
  
  
  
  
And then she heard his wonderful, comforting, sexy voice. Though now especially was not the time to be thinking about how sexy Trunks's voice was, damn it all, but she couldn't help it, and the voice was talking.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Panny, don't cry. I'll make everything alright." Did he sound choked up too? "Panny, baby, love, I promise. Everything's going to be alright. Please don't cry…" Then she felt his arms around her.  
  
  
  
  
  
Oh, Dende, I'm even imagining him now.  
  
  
  
  
  
Pan kept crying.  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Trunks looked at the sobbing woman he was holding and sighed. She hadn't even noticed he was there. Well, he'd change that.  
  
  
  
  
  
But first he'd get them off the road- why had Pan landed there anyway?  
  
  
  
  
  
He carried her as he flew- she was still crying, and when he stopped by a pretty little lake, he shook her.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Pan, look at me!"  
  
  
  
  
  
"No!" she wailed. "That's just cruel. I love him. I really, really love him."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Who, Pan?" Now he was confused. If she loved someone else, well then that just messed everything up and-  
  
  
  
  
  
"Trunks!" she sobbed.  
  
  
  
  
  
Oh, thank Dende.  
  
  
  
  
  
"Pan, I'm right here." He reached out and caressed her cheek, smiling gently.  
  
  
  
  
  
"No, you're not," she insisted, but leaned into his touch anyway. "The real Trunks wouldn't be here. He's in love with Marron."  
  
  
  
  
  
"No. I'm not in love with Marron. And I'm really here. Now, you have to listen to me because what I have to say is important."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Trunks?" The tears stopped, and she stared at him.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm an idiot."  
  
  
  
  
  
"Well, that's not very important," she snapped. "I already knew that."  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm not finished. So if you could please stop-"  
  
  
  
  
  
"So what is it, then?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Trunks decided Pan was getting back to her normal, somewhat annoying self. "As I was saying, if you could please stop interrupting me, I'll tell you." And then he was silent.  
  
  
  
  
  
He stayed silent.  
  
  
  
  
  
Pan quickly lost her patience. "Well?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Trunks looked down, his lavender locks falling to cover his eyes. "Now I'm nervous."  
  
  
  
  
  
Pan rolled her eyes and then did the only thing she could do: she stood up, drew her arm back, and punched him.  
  
  
  
  
  
The lavender-haired punching bag blinked. "What was that for?"  
  
  
  
  
  
"You were being annoying," she answered simply, crossing her arms and looking ridiculously inconvenienced.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I'm being annoying?" Trunks's eyes widened for a moment and then narrowed quickly into a glare. "I'm being annoying? You're the one who flew away when I was trying to tell you that I love you. And now I'm trying again to get up the courage to say it, and I have issues, and I know that, so it's hard, and you can't even wait for me to-" He broke off, realizing what he'd just admitted. "Oh."  
  
  
  
  
  
Pan was suddenly without anything to say. Then she was smiling a real, genuine smile and tears were shining in her eyes. "You're such an idiot!" she sniffled, and started laughing.  
  
  
  
  
  
Trunks blinked. "Okay, not exactly the reaction I was expecting."  
  
  
  
  
  
Another moment, and Pan threw herself into his arms, knocking them both into the lake.  
  
  
  
  
  
"I love you too," she said, her voice muffled by his shoulder.  
  
  
  
  
  
He grinned then, impossibly, unbelievably, ridiculously happy, and it didn't matter that they were both soaking wet in a freezing lake in the middle of the night because Panny was in his arms and she loved him and he loved her and could admit it. Sure, he'd still have his issues, and she'd still be annoying, but they'd be together and that was all that mattered.  
  
  
  
  
  
He pressed little kisses into her hair and onto her lips and cheeks and anywhere else he could reach, and she was smiling her gorgeous smile, and all he could feel was happy.  
  
  
  
  
  
But then Pan was tugging on his arm and looking worried. "Trunks, what about Ubuu and Marron?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Trunks blinked and then suddenly felt both of their kis heading in the opposite direction. Running away together, it seemed. Good for them. He tightened his embrace and looked down at Pan, chuckling. "Somehow I get the feeling that they're going to be okay."  
  
  
  
  
  
Pan grinned up at him, having felt them too, and then asked in an incredibly soft voice, "What about us? Will we be okay, too?"  
  
  
  
  
  
Trunks thought for a moment. "You know, Pan, I really think we will," he said, and kissed her.  
  
  
  
  
  
And everyone was okay, except maybe Gohan, but he'd get over it eventually.  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~  
  
  
  
  
  
Up on Kami's Lookout, Dende looked down at the two part Saiyans and smiled. "Oh yeah, I am the best."  
  
  
  
  
  
Mr. Popo glared. "You didn't do anything, and you know it."  
  
  
  
  
  
Dende grinned sheepishly. "Oh. Right."  
  
  
  
  
  
THE END  
  
  
  
  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
  
  
Thanks so much to everyone who everyone who ever reviewed this. You all rock. Thank you to everyone who's still reading this- I know it took forever to get this out and I'm sorry. I can't believe it's finally over. This is the first story I ever really cared about, that I put my everything into. It's been an amazing trip, and thanks to everyone who's been along for the ride. I love you all.  
  
  
  
Goodbye, DBZ fandom. I won't be writing here anymore, but every once in a while you'll see me leaving a review here and there. I've learned so much here, and it's really been great.  
  
  
  
Love and kisses,  
  
Tany 


End file.
